Dave Murray tried to beat his heroin addiction with methadone treatments 10 different times since 1971. Nothing worked until he received diacetylmorphine – the active component of the illicit drug – as part of a Providence Health Care clinical trial that enabled him to stabilize his life, volunteer, form a support group and get healthier over the past year.

Severely entrenched addicts who were recently granted Health Canada authorization to receive prescription heroin – a first in the country – will explore their legal options after the federal government announced it has banned the practice, effective immediately.